Cotton Letter Forces Obama to Admit Iran Deal Is Empty

JOEL B. POLLAK12 Mar 2015

When Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and 46 other Republican Senators wrote their controversial letter to the leaders of Iran, informing them that a deal with President Barack Obama would have no lasting force unless it was ratified by the Senate under the provisions of the U.S. Constitution, Breitbart News predicted that the gesture would set up “checkmate,” forcing Obama to admit that he had no intention of consulting Congress, and solidifying congressional opposition to the deal.

That prediction has been vindicated far more quickly than expected.

Though the mainstream media howled “traitors!” and the Democrats proclaimed “treason!”, Secretary of State John Kerry was forced to admit to Congress that the president’s intent was to create an agreement that was not “legally binding” so that he would not have to submit it for ratification. As Sen. Cotton put it to Kerry, via Twitter: “So what exactly are you doing?” Why all the fuss is about a non-binding deal?

The answer is painfully obvious. Obama’s game has been exposed: a cosmetic agreement with Iran that allows it to reach the threshold of nuclear weaponization, in exchange for real concessions by the U.S. that leave Americans, and America’s allies, in acute danger.

This is not a “bad deal”; it is not a deal at all. It is a surrender by the United States to a terrorist regime that is taking over the Middle East and spreading its violence and hatred worldwide.

Even skeptical media understand Cotton is winning. He has not yet forced “checkmate”: the Obama administration is not yet giving up on the deal that many expect will be announced soon. But he has forced the first “check,” sending Obama’s king scurrying across the board. The endgame has begun.

There is no chance now that Congress will accept the Iran deal, and a greater chance that the Iran Nuclear Review Agreement Act will override a veto. Obama wants to force stalemate with a deal. It will take political skill to stop him.